Fipforce HP Termiticide and Insecticide requires fewer drill holes than standard fipronil SC formulations when applied as a ‘drill and inject’ liquid soil treatment.
In May 2021 Sherwood Chemicals announced the launch of a new formulation that introduced a significant change to the way fipronil termiticides can be applied for termite control in Australia. Following the investment of significant financial and human resources in analysing the performance of FipForce Aqua, this innovative formulation was found to have soil-spreading properties that allowed a significant upgrade to the label instructions around drill spacing. Re-labelled as FipForce HP (High Performance) Termiticide and Insecticide, this is the latest innovation designed by Sherwood chemists to save pest managers time and money, benefiting both the technician on the job and the homeowner.
Same protection, less drilling
FipForce HP is a high-performance SC formulation that sets a new standard in termite management. Detailed soil trials have established that the modern polymeric surfactants used in FipForce Aqua have the ability to deliver significant horizontal transfer in loam and sandy soils – up to 50% more than expected. So much so, that it has allowed the drill spacings on the FipForce HP label to be increased. Data presented to the APVMA for registration supported that the drill spacings in concrete can be increased by 50 mm in loam soils and by 100 mm in sandy soils (Table 1).
| Soil type | Distance between drill holes | Volume of product per hole | Drill holes per 10 metres | Reduction in drilling v other fipronil SCs |
| Heavy clays | 150 mm | 1.5 L | 66 | Same |
| Clay loams | 200 mm | 2.0 L | 50 | Same |
| Loams | 250 mm | 2.5 L | 40 | 20% |
| Sands | 300 mm | 3.0 L | 33 | 30% |
Table 1: A comparison of drill and injection requirements according to soil type
Why is this important to the technician? The new hole spacings are now up to 50% wider than all standard SC fipronils in Australia, meaning less drilling is required when installing a new liquid soil treatment and – just as importantly – when re-treating existing soil barriers.
For new installations, FipForce HP offers technicians significant time savings when applying a new soil treatment through a drill and inject method in commonly encountered loam and sandy soils. Taking a standard four-bedroom home on sandy soil with a 40-metre external perimeter as an example, it means only 132 drill holes are required instead of 200 with standard fipronil SC formulations. Assuming it takes around a minute to drill and fill a hole (total injection time will be around the same, as the same amount of product needs injecting), using FipForce HP will save you over an hour per job. Of course there will be a significant saving on drill bit wear and tear as well.
Suitable for old and new treatments
This flexibility in drill spacing also makes FipForce HP a great choice for re-treating homes previously treated with bifenthrin or imidacloprid products.
Both bifenthrin and imidacloprid have been used to protect homes in Australia for over 20 years. The hole spacing required for bifenthrin and imidacloprid treatments ranges from 150-300 mm depending on the soil type. The spacing for fipronil – which has become the go-to product – is 150 mm in clay soils and 200 mm in all other soils.
This means on many jobs it is not possible to re-use all the drill holes if you want to use a fipronil SC product in a home previously treated with bifenthrin or imidacloprid. FipForce HP has solved this annoying problem. FipForce HP can match the bifenthrin and imidacloprid drill hole spacings of 250 mm and 300 mm (in loams and sandy soils respectively), which means technicians can re-treat a home originally treated with bifenthrin or imidacloprid by simply re-drilling the existing holes/plugs instead of having to add an extra drill hole in between, as would have been the case using a standard fipronil SC formulation. Less drilling means less body fatigue, and less wear and tear on the equipment. And of course less drilling keeps the customer happy too!
Superior formulation technology
Particle size and suspension time are also critical features of a quality termiticide product. The expertise of Sherwood Chemicals with water-based termiticides means Fipforce HP has been developed with a fine particle size to prevent the clogging of filters during application that can occur with other products. Furthermore the combination of fine particle size and advance polymers means the active remains in suspension after mixing for the duration of the application period, ensuring an even application of active around the property. This gives pest managers and homeowners confidence that the treatment has been installed correctly without any weak points and will provide the claimed period of protection.
It’s important that pest managers trust the quality of the products they use and it can also be an important selling point to customers, who want confidence that the best products are being used to protect their homes. The fact that Sherwood Chemicals offers a Quality Control Certificate with every bottle used on a job provides this assurance.
Every product is produced at the Sherwood facility, in small batch sizes for the best stability. The particle size of active used in each batch and the active level in each batch is analysed to ensure everything is within specification. With Sherwood Chemicals you can be assured that you get what is claimed on the label. Although it is allowed by the APVMA for products containing up to 100 g/L to have as low as 90% of the claimed label level of active, Sherwood views the amount of active declared on the label as the minimum amount that should be present in the product – the quality control certificates for each batch confirm this.
Choosing FipForce HP for termite control allows pest managers flexibility and efficiency in application, with the assured quality giving their customers confidence that their home will be protected from termites.
